Nickname
by villainous mustache
Summary: Only a wolf could manage to break the mighty lion with a glance.


_**Curiosity Killed the Cat**_

_Wolf. Why do they call him wolf? Is he a pervert…? It couldn't be like my name, Cloud means cloud. Why don't they call him fluffy? Are wolves fluffy like clouds? Could Cloud be a werewolf? I mean, he's secretive enough… Nah. _ Leon mused, mind trailing into nonsense. He heard footsteps running towards him, but ignored it and continued to think. _Wolf…? Why wolf? Why—_

"Leon!" Yuffie cooed, throwing her arms around the brunette. Noticing Leon's dazed state of mind, Yuffie poked at Leon's cheeks. "Whatcha thinking about, Leon?" Leon jumped at the question.

"Why does everyone call Cloud 'wolf'?" Yuffie's face fell a couple meters, but jumped back up again. "Well, he's silent and strong and like a wolf!" Yuffie lied. Leon wasn't close enough to Cloud to hear about… _that_. Leon looked at Yuffie, eyes sending a message to Yuffie. His stormy grey eyes sent a single message: _You're lying. Tell me._

A look of sadness crossed Yuffie's face, then came back and camped there. "Well…" Yuffie stopped. Leon looked at the ninja. "Well…?" Yuffie's normal expression of childish happiness booted the sad one right out of Leon's vision. "Ask Cloud!" was all that Yuffie said, as she ran down the alleys of Hollow Bastion, too far away for Leon to catch. Leon cursed under his breath. He was never able to find the damn blond when he wanted to.

Starting first at Merlin's place, Leon searched all the likely places: on the bed, leaning on the wall, working at Cid's computer, in the sword room, looking at the 100 Acre Wood, at the window staring mistily outside, but didn't see Cloud. So Leon started for the Great Maw. Passing Crystal Fissure, looking everywhere in the area, Leon sighed as he didn't find him.

He continued this process, until he decided to ask Aerith. "Aerith, where's Cloud?" Aerith smiled at Leon. "I don't know; have you checked Ansem's lab? He's been hanging around there lately…" Aerith was quickly thanked by Leon and was left just about as quickly.

Finally arriving at Ansem's lab, Leon did a thorough check of the room. Just about to check the computer room, Leon heard a growl. A dog-like growl. Leon whirled around. The dog-like growl belonged to a black—wolf. It had sparkling blue eyes that shone a brilliant blue, resembling Cloud's mako-blue eyes. Reaching out to the wolf, Leon cooed, "Nice dog… Good dog…" hoping that the rigidly angered wolf wouldn't lunge at him. The wolf bared its teeth and drew closer.

Leon heard a calmed 'hmm' from behind him, and the wolf retreated from its defensive stance. It padded off to stand behind Cloud, whose eyes were somewhat cold. Leon, whose eyes glowered at Cloud, got up and mumbled quiet thanks. Cloud reached down to pet the once dangerous wolf without thinking about what the wolf would have done to his friend. The wolf accepted the touch quite happily.

Leon glared at Cloud, who glared back.

Cloud glared at Leon. Leon glared at Cloud. This stoic battle continued, until Leon sprung the question.

Dropping his glare to be enveloped by mako-sapphire eyes, Leon spoke. "Why do Aerith, Yuffie and Cid call you 'wolf'?"

Cloud was silent. The wolf that was at Cloud's feet a few seconds ago padded away to leave the lion and the wolf alone. Leon was silent, stormy eyes as calm as the eye of a hurricane. Cloud was silent, mako-blue eyes unreadable. Leon flexed his hands in their black gloves, wanting to reach for his gunblade and _force _the answer out of Cloud's pretty mouth. Cloud's arms hung relaxed at his sides, ready to throw a punch if Leon whipped out his gunblade.

Leon reached for his gunblade and unsheathed it, just about to get into fighting position when Cloud knocked the sword out of his right hand with a swift kick. Cloud returned to the relaxed position he began from. Leon narrowed his eyes and followed the trajectory of the blade, vaulting over the balcony and finding the gunblade stuck in the floor neatly. Removing the blade, Leon looked around for Cloud, tensed adrenaline pumping through his veins.

Cloud landed in front of Leon, narrowly dodging Leon's firaga spell, the tips of his hair whispering in the heated blast. Keeping his relaxed stance, Cloud drew in a breath and exhaled evenly, shutting his eyes. Leon struck, again missing the blond. "Didn't know that SOLDIER taught hand-to-hand combat," he scoffed. Cloud responded with an even voice, even in the heat of combat. "Only the basics."

Leon pulled the trigger of his gunblade, unleashing a quick bolt of Thundaga. Jumping back, Leon put a hand to the blade, summoning up the energy he didn't think he'd need. A rippling field of energy surrounded Leon's weapon, ready to let loose at Cloud, who hadn't been much affected by the Thundaga spell. Jumping towards Cloud, Leon slashed vertically, hoping that he'd knocked Cloud into the air.

A hand held his gunblade in place, energy draining from the blade. Cloud was attached to it, expression unchanged by the battle. Leon cursed loudly.

Grabbing the gunblade, Cloud pulled and after a few seconds it was free from Leon's hands. He threw the sword to the side, shaking his hand from the extra charge of energy the blade brought. Leon thought he had seen a spark. He stared at Cloud, hoping for mercy. Leon's barriers were broken, eyes lost their calm. Leon looked into Cloud's eyes and drowned.

Falling to the blonde's feet, Leon curled himself closer to the only solid thing he could hold on to. He reached his arms out and held to Cloud's legs like a lifeline. His eyes turned pale, afraid of the azure fire that threatened to_ burn_ him. Horrified of the cerulean water that would surely _drown_ him. Chilled by the pale blue ice that would _kill_ if you stayed next to them too long. Leon looked up to Cloud, _desperate_ for this contact. Desperate to brush elbows with _death_.

Cloud looked back down at him, indigo fire, sapphire water and pale frost piercing into gray clouds. In those eyes, the wolf _drowned, burned _and _killed _the lion. Leon screamed, of fear, of agony, of realization, of sickening _pleasure_. Leon buried his face into the blonde's strong, thin legs, crying into the denim of Cloud's jeans. Cloud turned and left. The only noise heard in the hall was the unsteady breath and tentative weeping of Leon.

Only a wolf could manage to break the mighty lion with a glance.


End file.
